The invention relates to methods and apparatus for cleaning, brushing, and vacuuming. More specifically, the invention relates to a rotating dust wand and vacuum attachment.
Historically, there have been many implements used for the removal of household dust. This has included dust cloths, feather dusters, lambs wool dusters, and more recently, synthetic fiber dust wands. These devices rely on the adherent properties of the cloth or brush fiber to collect dust. In the case of brush styled dusters, the dust is collected by an electro-static charge. The brush fibers carry a slight electrostatic charge that attracts and holds dust particles. While these devices work to some degree, they are not totally effective in collecting dust from either flat or three-dimensional surfaces. Specifically, the action of using a duster in many cases tends to spread the dust rather than collect the dust. In most cases the dust is simply redistributed into the air and settles onto the dusted surface and surrounding areas.
Dust cloths that have been moistened with any cleaning solution, dust removal compound, or other chemical are difficult to use on delicate surfaces or surfaces that will not tolerate any type of moisture or cleaning chemical, e.g. dusting a fine pleated cloth lampshade would not be practical with a moistened dust cloths. Disposable and reusable dust cloths are time consuming and difficult to use on many surfaces. In addition to the labor factor, there is a cost factor to consider with disposable dust cloths and reusable dust cloths must be periodically washed to keep them in a usable state.
Of specific interest is the cleaning of mini-blinds. Over the past 20 years mini-blinds have become increasingly popular in both the home and office settings. Mini-blinds offer a unique cleaning problem as they contain a great many surfaces that collect dust and are difficult to reach due to the very nature of their construction. Using a dust cloth is a very time consuming approach to mini-blind cleaning, as each separate blade of the blind must be individually wiped down. The use of dust wands greatly decreases the labor factor in cleaning mini-blinds but the design of the mini-blind makes it almost impossible to use a dust wand across the surface of the blind with out dislodging previously collected dust.
Thus, the embodiments of the present invention are directed to dust removal and cleaning methods and apparatus that seek to overcome these and other limitations of the prior art.